Services.

Specialist Surgeons

We are lucky enough to have the services of local specialist orthopaedic and soft tissue surgeons who regularly come in to the practice to perform more advanced procedures which would previously have been referred to a specialist centre at great expense and stress to the owner and animal. Now these can be performed at a familiar practice with the care from the usual dedicated nursing team with more consistent follow-up from vets who have seen the case through from start to finish.

Dental surgery

We do dental surgery here at Summer Lane almost daily and we carry it out much like it would be for yourselves at your own dentist. We start by checking and charting every tooth for signs of decay, wear or damage. Sometimes we will need to take x-rays of the mouth to determine the extent of the damage, which is often hidden below the gum line. Next we scale all the teeth with an ultrasonic scaler to remove hardened tartar to reveal the teeth often hidden away under years of disease and bacteria. This helps us to minimise the amount of bacteria in the mouth should we need to carry out any extractions.

When tooth decay is causing your pet pain or discomfort or where the problem is irreversible and will pose a health risk at a later stage, we will extract the tooth to make your pet healthier. Most people don’t realise that having a tooth removed is an act of surgery and it should be treated as such. The shapes of Dogs’ and cats’ teeth are not like ours and they have longer roots to their teeth than we do. This makes removing diseased teeth much more tricky and we often have to cut the gum to access the tooth safely and stitch it back together again.

Endoscopy

We have on-site endoscopy available for dogs and larger cats to be able to examine the upper GI tract in a less invasive way than with surgery.

Digital X-rays

We have an advanced digital x-ray processor which speeds up diagnostics, allows easier and quicker sharing of images to specialists for expert opinions and keeps costs down for the owner too as we no longer have to process and store bulky film x-rays.

Specialist Ultrasound Exams

We are fortunate to have close links with a local specialist veterinary ultrasonographer who comes to the practice on a regular basis. Ultrasound is a gentle, non-invasive method of examining the internal organs without the need for anaesthetics or surgery. This is ideal for those who are critically ill and wouldn’t handle to stresses of surgery or for routine monitoring or disease without repeated invasive procedures.

This is ideal for those who are critically ill and wouldn’t handle to stresses of surgery or for routine monitoring or disease without repeated invasive procedures.

In-house Laboratory

Our in-house laboratory is well equipped to process most blood tests needed on a day-to-day basis as well as in an emergency situation. It’s ideal for when patients are very sick and having to wait for blood results from an external lab could mean life or death. In minutes we can have accurate and reliable results to start treating your pets straight away.

Not every practice can offer this service!

In-house cytology

Our in-house cytology service allows us to diagnose an endless number of problems during a regular consult! From determining the root cause of an ear infection and choosing the correct treatment for your pet to determining what type of lump your pet has developed or what stage of the oestrus cycle your female dog is in prior to breeding or neutering. We also look at blood smears for signs of infection, anaemia, toxicity or auto-immune disease, we look at urine for signs of crystals or bacteria and skin and hair samples for signs of parasites.

There really is no end to the uses for cytology!

Nurse Clinics

We are pleased to offer many different clinics run by our dedicated and caring team of qualified and registered veterinary nurses. You will see our nurses in their green uniforms and red nurse badges. They consult along side the vets and see patients for things like anal gland problems, nail clips and post-op checks as well as second vaccinations after being seen by a vet as well as a whole range of dedicated nurse clinics.

Our nurse clinics include weight clinics, geriatrics, diabetics, rabbits, dental health and puppy and kittens checks to name but a few!

Our nurses are very knowledgeable and approachable and no question is too silly or trivial to ask them.

Puppy Parties

Our puppy parties are run by Holly and Tracey and are as fun as they sound! They are intended for puppies under the age of 16weeks who have had their first vaccine. They are designed to introduce puppies to new sights, sounds and noises in a controlled environment so that all these new experiences are positive and lead to a confident well-rounded pup who isn’t fearful (especially of coming to the vets!).We run the classes once a week on a Wednesday evening in the waiting room at the practice. Holly and Tracey go through basic training commands, the importance of worming and flea treatment, grooming, dental health and socialisation. They are also on hand to

We run the classes once a week on a Wednesday evening in the waiting room at the practice. Holly and Tracey go through basic training commands, the importance of worming and flea treatment, grooming, dental health and socialisation.

They are also on hand to trouble-shoot any problems you may be having with your new pup in the early days when they are best corrected before they become too ingrained.

Acupuncture

Our vet Ali practiced western acupuncture and regularly sees patients with osteoarthritis or other aches and pains where regular anti-inflammatories aren’t enough. These are done in a relaxed environment to get the best result for your pet. Acupuncture is very well tolerated by animals and results are seen quickly.

If you think your pet could benefit from some acupuncture, speak to a member of staff who will be happy to assist.

We’re proud to be a Local Vets approved practice. It shows we’re totally committed to staying independently owned and will always be here to serve our local community of pets and their owners.